Process for Communicating Inclement Weather Office Closings & Course Cancellations

Winter is almost upon us, so please read below for your annual communication about inclement weather office closings and course cancellations. Heartland AEA offices will typically remain open unless all schools in a region are closed and travel is not recommended—which we know does happen. In preparation for the possibility of office closings and professional learning course cancellations, read below for the process the Agency uses to communicate about closings, cancellations and delays.



First, read the Agency’s Inclement Weather Policy, which can be found in the Staff Handbook and posted separately on the Intranet > Human Resources > For All Staff/Frequently Used Items. If you have any questions about the Inclement Weather policy, contact Tony Chiaramonte, Human Resources Manager.



Second, remember that the Temporary Remote Workplace Program can be used in extraordinary circumstances with supervisor approval. More information about the program can be found in the Staff Handbook. In an inclement weather circumstance, staff members who complete timesheets have the option of taking unpaid leave, even if they have other leaves available.  

Third, make sure your phone information is up-do-date in Employee Online, so you will be notified of office closings. For the SchoolMessenger system referenced below, we will be updating information the week of Nov. 27. If you are a new staff member or have a new phone number, you will receive a message from the short code 67587 asking if you’d like to opt-in to receive messages from SchoolMessenger. Reply “Yes” to receive those messages. We will also send out a test message in the coming days. 

Communicating Office Closures 

The Agency uses a variety of methods to notify staff members of office closures due to inclement weather. 

• SchoolMessenger: SchoolMessenger is an online notification system with the capability of sending voice, email and SMS (text) messages. We will send SMS and email messages through SchoolMessenger to only those staff members who are assigned to offices that close. For example, if the Newton and Indianola offices are closed, we will only notify the staff members who are assigned to those offices. Staff in other offices won’t receive an SMS or email message. 
• Website: We will post closing information on the front page of the Agency’s website.  
• Social Media: We will post closing information on the Agency’s Facebook & Twitter accounts. 

Communicating Professional Development Class Cancellations 

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If a professional development class is canceled, the cancellation will be communicated via the agency website and social media. 



If you have any questions about inclement weather communications, contact Courtney Croatt, Communications Specialist, at or ext. 14474.